Longboat Observer 8.15.24

YOUR TOWN

St. Regis unveiled

The St. Regis Longboat Key will host an unveiling ceremony on Aug. 16, which will give the local community a preview of the resort, according to a press release.

“This milestone event will mark the introduction of the only St. Regis to debut in the U.S. in 2024 and represents the island’s most significant development in half-a-century,” the release states.

After the unveiling ceremony, the resort will be open for a soft launch. The soft opening will include select rooms, the 20,000-square-foot spa and five food and beverage venues.

The release goes on to say that the St. Regis Longboat Key will be officially opening in late September.

The average room rate at the St. Regis Longboat Key is around $1,200 a night.

Night on the plaza

After taking a month off, Whitney Plaza is back again with its Summer Night Out. It will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on Aug. 22.

When business owners Irina Bronstein and Heather Rippy started this monthly tradition last year, they did not expect it to grow as much as it has.

The Summer Night Out tour of Whitney Plaza usually begins at Elegant Lady Cheesecake. Next door, Design 2000 Salon will be passing out free pizza from Ventura’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar. To go along with the pizza, Driftwood Beach Home and Garden has free Champagne to sip on.

Sips Coffee and Gelato Shop will give out free gelato samples, while its employees entertain with live music. To end the night, Ventura’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar is extending its happy hour specials for the rest of the night.

Debby deals blow to turtle nests

Post-Debby damages

In its preliminary assessment, the town estimates that 35-40 structures received flood damage.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

After the preliminary windshield damage assessment from Hurricane Debby, staff with the town of Longboat Key estimated that 35-40 structures were damaged by some flooding.

According to the report compiled by the Planning, Zoning and Building Department, street flooding in low-lying areas resulted in some water intrusion in homes, and overall, there was a lot of street flooding and canals that overtopped.

This assessment was completed by staff after Hurricane Debby passed Longboat Key as a tropical storm. Once it was safe to do so, staff drove around the island to conduct the assessment.

Most of the areas where streets were completely flooded and homes showed signs of intrusion were around the north-end Village and Sleepy Lagoon areas. The area around the 6300 to 6500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive was also reported to have water about eight inches deep.

“We anticipate that there will likely be more reports of damage as homeowners or tenants are able to check on their properties,” Director

of Planning, Zoning and Building

Allen Parsons said in an email.

Parsons added that as a part of the town’s building permit application, homeowners and contractors are required to indicate if the work is associated with storm damage. This could help the town to evaluate how much damage was done by thenTropical Storm Debby.

Assistant Director of Public Works

Charlie Mopps said that the beaches were also impacted by Hurricane Debby. While coastal erosion is evident, Mopps said the sand should be in the offshore system, meaning it could naturally accrete over time.

According to Mopps, the town asked Al Browder, the town’s coastal consultant with Olsen Associates, to conduct an assessment of Hurricane Debby’s impact on the beaches. Browder will provide an update to commissioners after analyzing the data, which Mopps said could be in September.

Homeowners who need to report damage from Hurricane Debby can contact the PZB Department at 941316-1966. Businesses that wish to report physical or economic damage can do so through the state’s Business Damage Assessment Survey.

Residents and businesses in Sarasota County can also report damage through the county’s Citizen Damage Assessment Survey, and residents in Manatee County can ask for assistance with unmet needs from Hurricane Debby.

Small changes for FY25

Ahead of the first hearing in September, the town makes minor adjustments to budget.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton and the town’s Finance Department submitted a final recommended budget to town commissioners on Aug. 1, ahead of the first budget hearing in September.

In the memo, Tipton outlined some minor changes to the budget since the commission last met in June. Some of the changes came from updates in funding sources, like town revenue, while others reflect changes in commissioners’ decisions.

Tipton also mentioned the town’s first Digital Budget Book, which was a yearlong endeavor for the Finance Department. This digital tool helps staff and residents see the budget in a reader-friendly and transparent format. It is available under the “Public Notices” section of the town’s website, LongboatKey.org.

When the commission last met on June 28 before its summer recess, staff presented the July 1 certified values, which came in at 10.25% higher than the previous year, which caused an increase in tax revenue by $1,580,544 while using the current millage rate of 1.9600.

Town commissioners also voted on June 28 to set the maximum millage at 1.9600.

Since the last budget workshop on June 17, there have been some changes throughout the general fund:

n Ad valorem revenues increased by $99,528, or 0.58%, based on the July 1 values, according to Tipton’s memo. Non ad valorem revenues increased by $282,372, or 5.1%

n Staff previously included $500,000 in the general fund to kickstart the canal dredging program. In the preliminary budget, this was funded by an additional mill-

age. After commissioners opposed the canal millage, the amount was removed from the budget. Instead, the commission decided to use surplus funds to develop the canal dredging program.

n Personnel costs decreased slightly, including a $34,400 decrease in health insurance costs because of lower renewal rates. Staff also reduced the pedestrian crossing guard subsidy by $5,000 and other minor personnel costs were reduced by $14,350.

n Some expenses that were previously cut were restored, such as $35,000 for a redesign of the town’s website.

n Overall, general fund spending was reduced from $1,886,774 to $1,508,552.

Though there were some changes in revenues, Tipton said some estimates were not yet available from the state, including the communication services tax, local discretionary sales surtaxes and the gas tax revenues. For the time being, the town used its own estimates and anticipated further changes before budget adoption in September.

UPCOMING BUDGET SCHEDULE

„ Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. — Final special workshop for discussion of budget

„ Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. — Certification of Annual Assessment Rolls for both GMD and Neighborhood Utilities Undergrounding Projects

„ Sept. 9 at 5:01 p.m. — First reading and public hearing of millage rates and FY25 budget

„ Sept. 23 at 5:01 p.m. — Second reading and public hearing

„ Oct. 1 — Fiscal year 2025 begins

Left behind

Hurricane Debby may be in the past, but its effects on Sarasota Bay are still present due to pollutants that entered the water from flooding.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

Experts with Suncoast Waterkeeper and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program agree: It’s not safe to swim in the bay right now.

A week after Hurricane Debby dumped large amounts of rain on the Sarasota Bay area, local experts are cautioning the public about potential negative side effects to the safety of the bay. This includes the reported millions of gallons of sewage discharged from municipalities that entered local waterways.    These impacts, and more, came from then-Tropical Storm Debby’s copious rainfall, which overwhelmed wastewater systems and brought pollutants into the bay. The full scope of the impacts is still to be determined.

“You can’t have this much rainfall without water quality being adversely impacted,” said Dave Tomasko, executive director for the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.

TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECTS

Shortly after Debby passed, municipalities reported wastewater failures and estimates of how much sewage flowed into surrounding water systems began.

The latest reports from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimate that 25 million gallons of sewage from the city of Bradenton’s system flowed into Manatee River, according to Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director Abbey Tyrna. Another 17.7 million gallons are estimated to have leaked from the city of Sarasota into Sarasota Bay.

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the nearly 1 million people in Sarasota and Manatee counties

with

sive

or chlorophyll, that promote

growth of algae. These nutrients could be the result of runoff from storms, sewage or other sources.

basically used Manatee River and Sarasota Bay as a toilet on Monday,”

Tyrna said, referring to Monday, Aug. 5, the day of Hurricane Debby’s main impact on the region.

As a result, Suncoast Waterkeeper issued no-swim advisories for Sarasota Bay until further notice.

Tomasko and Tyrna both said the problem largely has to do with aging collection systems, which caused failures in the region’s stormwater and wastewater systems.

“Everyone pays a lot of attention to the waste treatment plant, but the real problem is getting to the plant,” Tomasko said.

The two explained that when significant rainwater and flooding occur, the ground becomes heavily saturated. If wastewater systems have older pipes — aging infrastructure — then that excess water in the ground can seep into the pipes and cause more water to flow into the treatment plants than what the plants can handle.

That’s how the plants commonly become overwhelmed, leading to incidents like the ones that occurred with the city of Bradenton and the city of Sarasota.

“So when you see standing water on the streets … that means that the groundwater is completely saturated, which means the water that’s in the soil can make its way into the stormwater collection pipe and overwhelm the capacity of the plants,” Tomasko said.

Inundation of lift stations that move wastewater from low elevations to higher ground also played a part in the recent pollution problems, Tyrna explained.

Another component of Debby’s pollution is from land-based pollution sources, things like over-fertilized lawns, grass clippings and animal waste.

Tomasko said he’s also seen the impact of grease from flooded cars and boats, septic tanks from boats and spare gas cans trickling into the bay from flooded vessels. All these things, from sewage that leaked into the water to car grease, could play a part in potential negative side effects to come.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

When Debby passed, bay experts began seeing the impacts and wondering about the coming weeks.

“What we anticipate is that we’re going to have problems with algal blooms, potentially fish kills, high levels of bacteria,” Tomasko said.

“It’s not an unrealistic expectation.”

Harmful algal blooms commonly occur from “overfeeding,” which happens when increased levels of nutrients are introduced into waterways from runoff, like nitrogen from fertilizer runoff or other bacteria, according to the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration.

Tyrna’s organization, Suncoast Waterkeeper, conducts regular monitoring of water quality and releases weekly reports from about 11 sites around Sarasota Bay and Palma Sola Bay. After Debby, readings for enterococci — an indicator of fecal matter — were high in some sites.

A “safe to swim” range of enterococci is between 0-35 bacteria per 100 milliliters of tidal water. On Aug. 7, some readings were 41 bacteria per 100 mL at the Longboat Key boat ramp and 2,143 bacteria per 100 mL at Bayfront Park in Sarasota.

Tyrna also said that during this week’s readings, the salinity in the areas was surprisingly low.

An average salinity level is around 25 parts per thousand, Tyrna said, and she was seeing some levels below 5 ppt.

This could be due to a lot of rainwater flowing into the bay, which can negatively affect marine organisms that rely on saltwater. Some species cannot survive in salinities that low, and Tyrna said she wasn’t sure how long those impacts would last.

High levels of enterococci bacteria and low salinity suggest that significant sewage and rainwater seeped into the area’s bays.

Tomasko said the pattern of worsened water quality is common after storms that bring as much rainfall and flooding as Debby.

“I’ve gone out monitoring after a storm event for 20 years now, and it’s a pretty consistent finding: You’ll get algal blooms, you’ll get fish kills and you’ll have high bacteria in the weeks after that,” Tomasko said.

After Hurricane Ian, Tomasko said a similar situation unfolded. For at least two weeks after Ian, he said Sarasota Bay had poor water quality but, after about a month, the bay mostly recovered.

“One good thing is, this bay is healthier than it’s been in the last 10-15 years, so we should be able to bounce back from it,” Tomasko said. “It’s an episodic impact, it’s not a chronic impact.”

Tyrna was more cautious, though. She said that while the bay may mostly recover, the sediments under the bay can act as reservoirs for the harmful bacteria. Then, when future storms cause a disturbance, those toxins could be stirred back into the water column.

“It’s not like you just dump sewage into the bay and then two weeks later it’s gone,” Tyrna said. “A lot of it’s gone. But there’s still the reservoir at the bay bottom.”

For now, Tomasko said people may start to notice water having a dark-

er color, maybe brown. The color should be closer to aquamarine, he said, when it’s healthy. Basic senses should be an indication of whether the bay is safe, according to Tomasko.

“When the water looks the way it does, when it smells the way it’s going to smell in awhile … just let your senses tell you whether or not it makes sense to go into the water,” Tomasko said.

FUTURE UPGRADES

“There’s a roadmap to upgrading your infrastructure to ensure that it’s resilient against these storm events,” Tyrna said.

Replacing aging pipes, for example, is one way to prevent the excess water from overwhelming the collection systems. These projects take time and money, but will be necessary moving forward Tyrna said.

These upgrades are especially important considering that some experts are warning about the impact climate change has on worsening storms.

Tomasko said that as temperatures rise and the air is as warm as it is, the air can hold more moisture. More moisture leads to more rainfall.

“All that flooding, all the damage (Hurricane Debby) did, that’s a tropical storm 100 miles offshore,”

Tomasko said. “What are we going to do if we actually have a major hurricane, not a tropical storm 100 miles away … This should be a wakeup call of: How prepared are we for a future with more storms?”

Tyrna said the same, and emphasized that tropical storms will continue to bring huge amounts of rain because of warmer temperatures.

“And that’s why it’s important that we prepare,” Tyrna said.

“I’ve gone out monitoring after a storm event for 20 years now, and it’s a pretty consistent finding: You’ll get algal blooms, you’ll get fish kills and you’ll have high bacteria in the weeks after that.”

— Dave Tomasko,

Natural growth

Suncoast Waterkeeper’s new study will help advocate for stricter enforcement of mangrove protection regulations.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

Letting mangroves grow naturally is key, Suncoast Waterkeeper said after conducting new surveys.

Suncoast Waterkeeper recently completed mapping surveys of several mangrove sites around Manatee County to better understand the impacts of trimming mangroves versus letting the trees grow naturally.

Executive Director Abbey Tyrna said these surveys aim to advocate for better protection of mangroves, or for better enforcement of existing policies.

“Mangroves are the only protected tree in the state of Florida, and enforcement of the laws are seriously lacking,” she said. “And so using this information to bring attention to the lack of enforcement and the need for greater protection is definitely what we’re working to do.”

Six sites — one reference site and five studied sites — were a part of the survey in the North Sarasota Bay and

Palma Sola Bay areas. The surveys included aerial imaging of the mangrove canopies and spectral analysis.

In February, the organization started this effort with the help of volunteers who went out to complete the initial surveys. The team also included drone operators, a data manager and a boat captain to survey the sites.

The team went out again in March and April to survey the sites a second time before data analysis began.

Suncoast Waterkeeper received support from Manatee Fish & Game and the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation to help fund a data analysis intern, a multispectral drone and other project costs.

The new drone helped capture new data, which added more insight into mangrove mapping: color analysis.

If the team solely used canopy volume as a measurement — that is, how full the canopy appeared from aerial views — then many of the sites would appear to be in good health, Tyrna said. But she indicated that it’s not enough to only go by volume.

Suncoast Waterkeeper used the multispectral drone to capture Landsat Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data. According to Tyrna, it’s a way for scientists to get information by looking at colors.

“It definitely classifies or quantifies the greenness,” Tyrna said. “Greener vegetation is typically healthier vegetation.”

Data analysis took until about July, which is when Suncoast Waterkeeper was able to share the results with the public.

MANGROVE HEALTH METRICS

The five surveyed sites were compared to the selected reference site, which Tyrna said is a protected area in which mangroves can’t be trimmed. This reference site was the site in the best health of all six.

Tyrna said some of the five sites were selected because they are currently threatened by development, though she did not give specifics as to where the sites are located.

Overall, Tyrna’s team found that trimmed mangroves show significant losses to canopy volume and leaf health. Those areas with trimmed mangroves experienced more significant losses than surveyed areas that were previously impacted by sewer pipe blowouts.

Each site was given a Mangrove Health Index Score, which is created from the volume and NDVI data. The reference site scored a 90.

Site 1 in North Sarasota Bay scored a 52. It was affected by a sewer pipe blowout in 2022.

Site 2, also in North Sarasota Bay, had the lowest score of 34. This is one site that was permitted for trimming and received annual trimmings for two years prior. The trimming was most likely the reason behind the low score, a graphic from Suncoast Waterkeeper states.

Tyrna said that trimming or reduction of a mangrove habitat due to sewage impacts can cause a reduction in the function of the ecosystem.

“A lot of scientists look at the structure of an ecosystem and relate

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that to the function of an ecosystem, and higher structure means higher function,” Tyrna said. According to the Florida Fish and

“Mangroves are the only protected tree in the state of Florida, and enforcement of the laws are seriously lacking. And so using this information to bring attention to the lack of enforcement and the need for greater protection is definitely what we’re working to do.”

— Abbey Tyrna

Wildlife Conservation Commission, mangroves are important habitats and can be nurseries for juvenile fish. Mangroves also act as shoreline stabilizers, which can offer more coastal protection.

Tyrna said reducing structure by any percentage would reduce the function of the mangrove ecosystem by a similar percentage.

This data shows one snapshot of time, and the organization hopes to continue these surveys next year and beyond.

This year’s study was a pilot for Suncoast Waterkeeper. Tyrna said they learned a lot through the process and figured out what needed to be tweaked for future surveys. She said the organization hopes to continue next year in February and is looking for more funding opportunities.

“We have a lot of work coming up in the spring, and we look forward to fine-tuning this program,” Tyrna said.

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Nests lost to surge

Estimate suggests half of LBK’s sea turtle nests were lost due to storm.

The impact was apparent when Longboat Key Turtle Watch volunteers patrolled the beaches after Hurricane Debby passed the area.

As of Aug. 10, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium reported 1,256 sea turtle nests on Longboat Key. Vice President of Longboat Key Turtle Watch Cyndi Seamon said she estimates about half were lost due to Debby’s surge.  Hurricane Debby made landfall in the panhandle of Florida as a Category 1 Hurricane, but the storm was a tropical storm when it passed off-

shore from Longboat Key. Still, the storm brought large amounts of rain and flooding, which also impacted the beach.

Seamon said that the Tuesday following Debby was when Longboat Key Turtle Watch volunteers went out to assess the situation and collect stakes that were washed away from the storm. Each sea turtle nest has either two or four stakes.

That Tuesday, Seamon said volunteers collected over 300 stakes in the Manatee County half of Longboat Key. It’s unclear as to how many nests that could be, and Seamon said she expects more stakes to be accounted for in the coming days.

“We don’t really know how many

nests we picked up,” Seamon said.

The following day, Mote gave the green light for volunteers to go back on patrol, assess the situation and report back. For the rest of that week, volunteers continued to report back to Mote and re-stake the yellow stakes if they were still around.

Longboat Key Turtle Watch and Mote personnel are still assessing the nests and making determinations on whether to call nests a washout.

The official number of nests lost is still to be determined, but a lot of nests were impacted, according to Mote.

Even though the impact is clear, Seamon shared some good news.

From one of the nests that seemed

to be heavily impacted by Debby’s tidal surge, volunteers recently discovered the tracks of two hatchlings that survived the storm.

Mote also reported that there have been some new crawls of nesting mothers and a couple new nests in the past week.

Longboat Key Turtle Watch said in a Facebook post that after a storm, it’s important to adhere to the recommendations and local ordinances to ensure hatchlings can safely make it to the ocean.

That said, Longboat Key Turtle Watch reminded the public that outdoor lights or lights visible from the beach should be shielded or turned off after dark, holes should be filled in on the beach and beach furniture and debris should be cleared from the beach.

If people find the yellow nest stakes on the beach, Mote advises the public that the stakes should not be placed upright in the ground because they could accidentally hit a nest. The best thing to do is lay the stakes next to the nest.

Eggs found on the beach should not be picked up, but people can reach out to the Mote Sea Turtle Conservation Research Program hotline to report eggs or a nest with exposed eggs at 941-388-4331.

HOW DO STORMS IMPACT TURTLE

NESTS?

While Longboat Key Turtle Watch and other organizations do what they can to advocate for sea turtle nest protection, not much can be done in terms of natural causes.

But as Longboat Key Turtle Watch said in a recent Facebook post, nesting numbers are high this season, and sea turtles have strategies — like laying about 100 eggs per nest — to account for natural losses.

According to a 2021 study that looked at these adaptations of loggerhead sea turtles on the Gulf Coast of Florida, storms and surges suffocate eggs and, when nests are left exposed after surges, the eggs are more susceptible to predation from animals like raccoons, coyotes and birds. But the study also showed that female loggerhead turtles can offset losses from natural causes by reproductive adaptations like producing a large number of eggs.

Ringling College to release documentaries about Longboat nonprofits

Students created short films highlighting local conservation efforts.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF

TWRITER

hree short documentary films centered around Longboat Key will be release-ready around November.

Ringling College of Art and Design students made the films in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Longboat Key. The collaboration with the college that began with three short films meant to capture local environmental stewardship and “eco heroes” has evolved into a growing program for the college’s film department.

The first idea — three short films focused on environmental stewardship — was completed over the last school year. Each film, about three to five minutes long, focuses on its own subject: Longboat Key Turtle Watch, Save Our Seabirds and Sister Keys.

Immediately after filming those, a new batch of students began another series of three documentaries. The idea has taken off with the students, according to Patrick Alexander, interim film department head for the college.

Former president of the Rotary Club of Longboat Key Jeff Driver led the collaboration, which began after an Earth Day event that brought together groups like Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Save Our Seabirds and Longboat Key Turtle Watch.

The goal was to create these films as a way to increase public outreach and education efforts. This relates to one of the key pillars of Rotary, which is supporting the environment.

From there, the idea for short environmental documentaries was born, and Driver enlisted the help of Ringling’s film department.  Alexander has been the leader of the project from the academic side, but the bulk of the work is on the students. From setting up locations

to filming and post-production, the students were the creative minds driving the films.

“As far as them being the creatives who really design the story and the questions and figure out where the camera goes and do all the editing, that’s all them,” Alexander said. “That really empowered them.”

This fall, a group of students will work to create a marketing campaign for the films, which will likely debut in November. The debut event will most likely be private, Driver explained, but afterward, the films will be available to the organizations for distribution.

Driver said working with the students and faculty at Ringling over the course of the past year has been inspiring and also informative for him.

“The most impressive and exciting part of it, for me, was learning about the film process with the students,” Driver said. “And just to appreciate the process of filmmaking and how gifted they are, that was just inspiring.”

He also said the goal of the films has been accomplished. Though

short, the films met the intention to capture an emotional and more personal side to environmental action. The films do so by telling stories through characters like Save Our Seabirds Director Brian Walton, Rusty Chinnis and Driver and his wife, Terri.

“It kind of captures your emotional intelligence to hear someone describe what they’re doing,” Driver said. “And if you’re really passionate about environmental sustainability, to me these films just really impacted my emotional intelligence … These are eco heroes, this is special.”

GROWING THE PROGRAM

A year ago, the idea of short environmental documentaries was mostly theoretical, Alexander said.

Now, the collaboration has grown beyond what was originally envisioned. Going forward, the faculty at Ringling are ramping up the program and plan to continue the collaborative effort with local organizations as a part of the students’ curriculum.

Alexander said a new group of students spent the summer filming the next three films as part of a paid

“The most impressive and exciting part of it, for me, was learning about the film process with the students. And just to appreciate the process of filmmaking and how gifted they are, that was just inspiring.”

— Jeff Driver

internship. Alexander’s wife, Alison, came aboard and was able to offer the students compensation through her film company Alexander Film Agency LLC. The students also receive academic credit for the internship.

The next three films will also focus on local environmental “eco heroes,” though not focused on Longboat Key.

These films will introduce the audience to Gamble Creek Farms owned by Ed Chiles, Oyster River Ecology and Suncoast Urban ReForesters.

In the fall, the project will go back to being a part of the college’s INDEX

program, which stands for industry experience. This program allows students to gain hands-on experience in the industry while also attaining academic credit.

This is when a new batch of students will start to focus on marketing and distribution of the six films. Since the films are geared toward the next generation of environmental stewards, Patrick Alexander said letting college students take the lead on marketing was key.

The program has escalated in interest on Ringling’s campus, according to the Alexanders, with a lot of applicants and a competitive application process. The team usually consists of about 12 students, with four to six students fully committed at any given time.

At first, the Alexanders said they were working on the students to figure out how the program would run. Over time, they realized how much opportunity was in the program given how many possible subjects there are in the area.

“There’s too much out there to not want to get involved with and inform about,” Alison Alexander said. “And the students had a wonderful time, they told us, so it’s a no-brainer to continue it.”

In defense of developers

It was certainly a cringe moment recently when former Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight, who is running for the District 3 Sarasota County Commission seat, made this comment about the region’s most prominent developers:

“They have a stranglehold on our county. They are as bad as the gangs I dealt with as sheriff.”

Oh dear. Really? C’mon, Tom. Gang members? Unfortunately, that apparently is the sentiment of many people. Well, that’s at least the impression you get. And that is the perception and has been the theme of the current primary election cycle in Sarasota and Manatee counties. It appears pretty black and white. There are only two types of candidates running in the primary. The black hats: the candidates who are referred to derisively as the “bought-and-paid-for-bydevelopers.”

And the white hats: the candidates who don’t have developers’ contributions and who constantly rag about “greedy developers” causing “over development” and harping that the black hats candidates, if elected, will just do whatever the developers want. We’ll know in two weeks after the votes are tabulated whether that anti-developer sentiment is the majority or minority. But we’re going to pray — not hope; hope is not a strategy — the majority voting in the primary thinks rationally; thinks beyond the campaign rhetoric; and rejects the notion that developers are greedy, evil bad guys. Sure, there are always bad apples. But if you have ever gotten to know developers or homebuilders, in all likelihood, you know they are like most good people and most good business people: They’re calling is to fill a noble need — to provide comfortable places to live. And like all business people, they have a self-interest in doing what they do well. If they didn’t do their jobs well, they wouldn’t exist. They and

SEEN AND UNSEEN

Consider the two — how consumers and communities benefit when there is development and what happens where there is little or no development.

With development, just look around you — housing, shops, health care, job opportunities, recreational amenities, etc.

Now consider the alternative: NO DEVELOPMENT:

■ Little to no population growth

■ Little to no economic opportunity to increase wealth and quality of life

■ Lower wages than otherwise

■ Fewer public services

■ More poverty

■ Fewer choices (restaurants, schools, shopping, jobs, health care

■ Fewer community amenities

■ Economic stagnation, lower quality of life. If housing is not available to incoming residents and workers and employers cannot hire because workers have nowhere to live, workers and employers will go elsewhere.

When employers start leaving, the economic death spiral begins.

their employees would lose it all. Likewise, it is in their interest to make the communities in which they build (and live themselves) good places to live. They don’t want to live in a crummy place. They don’t want their names associated with lousy products.

But, of course, the argument goes, they’re building too many houses and apartments! They’re the cause of over-development, crowded roadways and lack of infrastructure!

It’s all their fault!

When we shared those charges with Pat Neal, CEO/owner of Neal Communities, the region’s largest home-grown homebuilder, he said: “What we do is serve the market for people who want to be in this wonderful state.”

Adds Medallion Home owner

Carlos Beruff, viewed by many as Enemy No. 1 in Manatee: “We didn’t create the fact people keep wanting to move here. Maybe remind everyone they live in a house that one of us probably built for them.”

It’s not the homebuilders; population growth — over which developers have no control — is driving the so-called “over development.”

Neal told us 57% of his customers do not have a Florida address when they make their first purchase; 22% are from elsewhere in Florida.

What’s more, when you’re inclined to huff nasty expletives at developers, flip the coin. Think about what life would be if develop-

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT

National impact to GDP

Residential investment contributes roughly 3%-5% to the nation’s gross domestic product, which includes construction of new single-family and multifamily structures, residential remodeling, production of manufactured homes and brokers’ fees.

1-year impact of 100 homes

The estimated impacts of building 100 homes in a typical local area include:

■ $28.7 million in local income

■ $3.6 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments

■ 394 local jobs

Additional annual recurring impacts of 100 homes:

■ $4.1 million in local income

■ $1 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments

■ 69 local jobs

1-year impact of building

100 rental apartments

The estimated impacts include:

■ $11.7 million in local income

■ $2.2 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments

■ 161 local jobs

HOW THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS

Does housing development cost more in government services (e.g. police, fire, EMT, etc.) than it pays in taxes?

First year impact

The 100 single-family homes and 100 rental apartments built result in an estimated:

■ $6.3 million in tax and other revenue for local governments

■ $564,000 in current expenditures by local government to provide public services to the net new households at current levels, and

■ $4 million in capital investment for new structures and equipment undertaken by local

ers didn’t develop.

“The alternative to developers is for individual homeowners to hire contractors to build their homes. But one-off homes provide no amenities like sidewalks, parks, roads, bike trails, etc.,” says Adrian Moore, a resident of Sarasota and vice president of the Reason Foundation.

“There simply is no way to build significant apartment buildings or condo complexes without developers,” Moore adds. “The economies of scale of building housing in large developments means the cost per home is much cheaper than one-off housing construction. If you want lower cost housing, you are only going to get it with developers.”

Charge No. 2 against developers — and the charge that seems most volatile during election season: Developers buy politicians.

Yes, they contribute hundreds of thousands to city and county commissioner and state legislative campaigns. Asked to respond to

Final Observer recommendations

Here is why U.S. elections should revert to occurring only on election day: Things happen up to the last day that can change voters’ minds. Such is the case this cycle.

In some races, where the choices appeared clear — candidates whose political-economic philosophies aligned with liberty and freedom for the individual; whose competence and experience appeared suited for the office; and whose integrity was solid — incidents and campaign shenanigans later skewed our views. Or, as some of the campaigns progressed, voters also learned more about the candidates.

In particular, we’ve vacillated on the two Republican primaries for Sarasota County Commission District 1 and District 3; and the fourway race in Manatee for Florida House District 72. At the same time, the campaign shenanigans and controversies continue to swirl in the campaigns for Manatee County Commission, in particular the race for District 3, which includes the Manatee portion of Longboat Key.

In the two Sarasota County Commission races, three of the four candidates — Teresa Mast (District 1) and Tom Knight and Neil Rainford (District 3) — let their campaign tactics sully their candidacies and integrity. We repeatedly have noted the constant truth twisting and sometimes outright lies in their mailers; and the refusal,

ELECTION ’24

To

mostly of Mast and Rainford (as well as School Board candidate Karen Rose), to appear at candidate forums — a disrespectful snub to voters. It’s enough to sway you to abstain on those races.

But if you feel compelled to vote for someone, when you evaluate and make a judgment on who likely would perform most competently for taxpayers, we’ll go back — reluctantly — to our initial arguments and recommendations — Mast and Knight.

In the House District 72 primary in East Manatee, we noted that this race is a rare instance when all four candidates could serve the district well. We gave the edge to “Bill” Conerly, former longtime Manatee Planning Commission chair.

But for those voters who haven’t voted yet, we’ll urge you to do more last-minute homework. Richard Green, while not widely known but with nine years as an administrative law attorney, is on par in legisla-

tive astuteness and knowledge of Florida law with the district’s predecessor, Tommy Gregory.

While Conerly can be regarded as the establishment candidate, Green is the emerging newcomer and, truth be told, more independent and more suited for Tallahassee.

For the District 3 County Commission seat in Manatee, the race has been brutal. Thirty-year-old Tal Siddique has been getting a fiery baptism into the nasty world of election campaigns. He is running against April Culbreath, former Manatee sheriff’s deputy and chair of the Manatee Republican Party Executive Committee. Newcomer versus establishment.

Culbreath and her team have been barraging voters with false accusations of Siddique being associated with Black Lives Matter and a Biden Democrat. (He is a former registered Democrat.) And last week, they circulated documents showing Siddique saying “while in the Air Force” and listing his employment as the U.S. Air Force. Culbreath’s team says he’s lying. In truth, he has not served in uniform.

Siddique’s response: “I was a civil servant who worked for the U.S. Air Force helping it lead software teams to better protect our troops and our country … In addition to being a civil servant working with our U.S. Air Force within the Department of Defense, I also worked with the Department of Homeland Security

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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governments

After the first year, annually

The single-family homes and rental apartments result in:

■ $1.5 million in tax and other revenue for local governments

■ $1.1 million in local government expenditures to continue providing services at current levels

After 15 years

The homes will generate a cumulative $27.6 million in revenue compared to $20.5 million in costs, including annual current expenses, capital investment and interest on debt.

Source: Reason Foundation

this, Neal sent a memo, and in big bold letters the conclusion to his explanation was: It’s “a matter of survival.”

“I think real estate developers are the only people whose lives really, really live and die on what the County Commission does,” Neal says. “The commission is in charge of land use and county policy and culture.”

We have noted this before. Local commissioners and state lawmakers have extraordinary power over individuals’ properties. Every time they make a decision on a property, they are changing the cost for the individual who may want to sell his property; for the developer and homebuilder; and for the consumer.

Says Beruff: “I have spent my adult life supporting people who think like I do. We won’t agree 100% of the time, but if eight out of 10 times we’re on the same page, why shouldn’t I support those people?”

U.S. House, District 16 — Republican: Eddie Speir; Democrat: Neither Florida House District 72 — ”Bill” Conerly, establishment; Richard Green, newcomer, independent. Lean to Green MANATEE COUNTY County Commission — Carol Ann Felts; Talha “Tal” Siddique; Ray Turner; George Kruse School Board — Mark Stanoch; Charles Kennedy Property Appraiser — Charles Hackney Supervisor of Elections — Scott T. Farrington SARASOTA COUNTY County Commission — Abstain School Board — Karen Rose; Gregory Wood Tax Collector — Charles Bear Sarasota Public Hospital Board — Sharon Wetzler DePeters; Kevin Cooper; Pam Beitlich; Sarah Lodge Charter Review Board — Nicholas Altier; Tom DeSane; Greg “Tex” Bukowski

and other federal agencies in patriotic service to our country.”

As Democrat vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and former presidential candidate John Kerry found out: Never, ever lie or even slightly fudge military service. In Siddique’s case, that should not derail his candidacy. — Matt Walsh

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Aqua exercise: Born to float!

Water workouts are easy on joints, relieve stress and improve strength and cardiovascular fitness.

MIRABAI HOLLAND

CONTRIBUTOR

Water babies, that’s us.  We’re at home in liquid from before birth, and we seem to naturally gravitate to it. We love the ocean, the pool, the hot tub and the bathtub.

What is it about water that means so much to us? It surrounds us, it cradles us and it supports us. We’re nearly weightless in water. The largest of us can glide with ease and grace, feeling minimal resistance.  I think it’s those endearing properties of water that make aqua exercise pleasant and effective.

FITNESS

Swimming is the most common form of aqua exercise. It’s good for all ages. It uses all your major muscle groups, strengthens, tones and helps build aerobic capacity. There’s almost no impact, so it’s kind to your joints while it gets you in shape. I swim laps for 30 to 40 minutes four or five times per week. I find it relaxing and stimulating at the same time. Some days, it melts my stress and puts me in a meditative state. Other days, I do some of my best thinking during my swim workout.

In any case, I always get out of the water with that energized, goodtired feeling. Mornings are my favorite time to swim. But I’ll take a swim any time I can fit it in. I mostly swim outside so, as pretty as dusk is, I’m usually done before that because mosquitoes love me.

If you’re a beginner, start slowly with a few minutes a day. Stay in your comfort zone and build up. I can swim for an hour or so now, when my body is in the mood. But it took me over a year to get that conditioned, and I had a head start as a fitness professional.

Take your time and keep it fun.

AQUA EXERCISE Can’t swim? No worries. There are aqua exercise classes at local rec centers everywhere. There’s aqua cardio, aqua strength, aqua stretch, just about aqua everything. It’s done in about four feet of water, so there’s no need to swim.

You can get a great workout. It’s no-to-low impact, so it’s easy on your joints. And if you have access to a pool or calm water, now you can stream a workout onto your tablet, prop it on a chair and exercise your brains out.

There’s some cool equipment to use in the water, too — aqua dumbbells, paddle gloves, jogging vests. Obviously, if you’re going deepwater running, you’ll need one of those deep-water jogging vests. But otherwise, you don’t need that stuff to get started. Besides, many aqua cardio classes don’t use any equipment.

Here is an aqua exercise you might try for cardio: Aqua strength is a good way to ease into strength training. Aqua dumbbells aren’t very expensive, but you don’t necessarily need them. You can use empty water bottles with the caps on to substitute aqua dumbbells. The air in the bottle provides plenty of resistance for strength training. The bigger the bottle or jug, the more resistance you get. You can even regulate the resistance by filling them partially with water.

PT AND REHAB

Immersion in water was used for healing by ancient civilizations more than 3,000 years ago. They were on to something. Nowadays, immersion in water provides a supportive, low-impact, lowresistance environment for modern, medically based, physical therapy and injury rehab. A doctor usually prescribes specific aqua rehab exercises.

Courtesy image

AGING FIT

Someone really smart and probably pretty old, once said: “Aging is not for the faint of heart.”

Can I say I can relate to that without giving away my age? Guess not. Luckily, water is also a great medium for vintage bodies that simply can’t take the impact of other types of exercise, at least not every day. Even if you’re active, getting older can make it hard to do land-based exercise on a regular basis. And water is fun. You don’t know you’re exercising until you get out, and your body tells you, “Oh, that was a workout.”

As our health-conscious population lives longer and longer, I think aqua exercise, with it’s ability to surround and support our aging bodies while we keep them operational is more important. Get those bodies in the water. Try it; you’ll like it.

Mirabai Holland is CEO of NuVue LLC, a health education and video production company. She is a certified health coach, exercise physiologist and wellness consultant for Manatee County government and has a private practice. Her wellness programs are implemented worldwide. She is also an artist who believes creativity enhances health. Contact her at AskMirabai@MovingFree.com.

Lung Associates Joins First Physicians Group

First Physicians Group is delighted to announce the addition of Lung Associates of Sarasota to our award-winning healthcare system. As part of this exciting transition, they will now operate under the name First Physicians Group Pulmonology.

With over 30 years of expertise in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Lung Associates of Sarasota has delivered exceptional care for conditions such as asthma, pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer, and sleep apnea.

As part of First Physicians Group, the dedicated professionals of Lung Associates will continue providing the same services and level of care that patients have come to expect and rely on, but now with the backing of the entire Sarasota Memorial Health Care System and its quest to provide comprehensive and seamless healthcare to our community.

Regarding the Longboat Key library proposal

We have been reading about this proposed library and wondering who thought this was an important investment for LBK!

Most residents are perfectly capable of accessing the Sarasota library system. Plus many have access to libraries in the towns/cities where they may retain a residence for the summer months. Additionally, most people now download their reading material to their Kindles, iPads, phones, laptops, etc.   I totally agree with Bob Gault and others who have privately or publicly expressed their concerns about this waste of money.

Aquatic exercise offers a host of benefits for “vintage bodies,” including low-impact resistance training, stress relief and cardiovascular fitness.

Most of our friends are currently living in buildings that need serious renovations to comply with the new regulations that have resulted in enormous assessments like elevators, roofs and insurance premiums.

I suggest we put the library issue up for a vote and see if the majority of residents really want to squander our funds and our green areas to more government usurpation! Enough is enough!

— BARBARA SCHWARTZ, LONGBOAT KEY

SEND US YOUR LETTERS

Have something to tell us? Send your letters to Kat Wingert at KWingert@ YourObserver.com.

Meaningful meal

fter a week of managing the aftermath of Hurricane Debby, the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department got a well-deserved lunch from the Longboat Island Chapel on Aug. 6.

“We had no rescues, thankfully,” said Fire Chief Paul Dezzi. “But, we definitely appreciate the chapel for bringing us lunch after we have been trying to help around the island after the storm this weekend.”

Along with the Rev. Brock Patterson, Chef David Stone, Carol Peschel and Sue King came from the chapel to eat lunch with the department’s employees. The chapel’s choice of Fire House Subs was the right pick for the occasion. Stone also made a variety of desserts.

The chapel treated the Longboat Key Police Department to lunch in July. Peschel said they treat the two departments every summer to show their appreciation for all the hard work they do on the island.

“They do so much for us residents,” said Peschel.

— PETRA RIVERA

Six nonstop flights coming to SRQ airport

Sarasota-Bradenton International will now offer service to 60 nonstop destinations

ELIZABETH KING BUSINESS OBSERVER

Breeze Airways will be adding six new nonstop destinations at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport starting this fall. Currently, the airline offers service from SRQ to Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island. New nonstop destinations coming later this year include Westchester County, New York; Akron-Canton, Ohio; Portland, Maine; Long IslandIslip, New York; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and Richmond, Virginia. There will also be one-stop service with no plane change to Syracuse, New York.

“We’re thrilled to add six more nonstops and one BreezeThru route from Sarasota-Bradenton,” Breeze Airways founder and CEO David Neeleman said in a statement. “It’s been a great destination for us for the last two years, and it’s exciting to continue our growth.” Breeze Airways launched in 2021, and this year, for the third consecutive time, it was ranked in the top five on Travel + Leisure’s list of the best United States airlines. It offers free

family seating and à la carte pricing for things like extra legroom.

“The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is excited to see the expansion of Breeze Airways with six new nonstop destinations from SRQ,” President and CEO of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Rick Piccolo said in a statement. “This rapid growth showcases Breeze Airways’ commitment and confidence in the region, and we are delighted to have them as a valued partner.”

Thanks to the new routes, SRQ will offer nonstop service to 60 destinations, according to a statement from the airport.

NEW ROUTES FROM SRQ

„ Westchester County, New York: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays starting Oct. 31.

„ Akron-Canton, Ohio: Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting Nov. 20.

„ Portland, Maine: Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting Nov. 20.

„ Long Island-Islip, New York: Thursdays and Sundays, starting Nov. 21.

„ Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina: Mondays and Fridays, starting Nov. 22.

„ Richmond, Virginia: Mondays and Fridays, starting Nov. 22.

„ Syracuse, New York: One stop/no change of plane BreezeThru service on Mondays and Fridays, starting Nov. 22.

Tad Denson Breeze Airways will offer nonstop service to eight total destinations from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

PET PICS

SATURDAY, AUG. 3

RANDOM BOAT PROBLEM

11:04 a.m., 800 block of Broadway Street Officer Public Service: An officer was dispatched to a vessel that washed up a couple of days prior. The complainant said he was concerned that the vessel’s owner had not yet retrieved the vessel. The officer tried calling the owner multiple times but had no luck, so the complainant said he would arrange a commercial tow to remove the vessel from his property.

SUSPICIOUS STROLL

7:51 p.m., 4300 block of Falmouth Drive

Suspicious Person: Dispatch sent Longboat Key officers to a report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, officers met with the alleged suspicious person who was walking in a parking lot. The man gave officers his identification, confirmed he was staying at a nearby location and said he was just out for a walk. He said he had taken a picture of a car that had its cover blown off and was texting the owner to give them a heads-up before the storm.

SUNDAY, AUG. 4

LENDING A HAND

7:06 p.m., 4700 block of GMD

Highway Obstruction: While on patrol, an officer noticed a disabled vehicle in flood water that was blocking the southbound lane of GMD. A good Samaritan helped the officer in pushing the vehicle to the side of the road to allow for traffic to continue flowing. The owner said a tow would be arranged.

SUNDAY, AUG. 4

BOAT-CAUSED BRIDGE BACKUP

4:13 p.m., 7200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Abandoned Vehicle: A report of a loose sailboat heading for the Longboat Pass Bridge required police assistance. The responding officer saw the sailboat pinned against the bridge. The boat’s hatch was locked and there appeared to be nobody onboard. The officer notified the United States Coast Guard of the hazard, but there was nothing more to do at that point.

Two hours later, an officer on patrol noticed a backup of cars on the Longboat Pass Bridge and saw the drawbridge arm was across the bridge. The officer asked dispatch to notify the Florida Department of Transportation and other agencies that the bridge was im-

MONDAY, AUG. 5

RUNAWAY CHANNEL MARKER

2:18 a.m., 1900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Marine Rescue: An officer was dispatched to a possible marine rescue. At the scene, the officer met with the complainant who said he saw a blinking white light about 200 feet away in the Gulf of Mexico. Officers determined it was not a boat but a channel marker that became detached.

TUESDAY, AUG. 6

WANTED: MISSING BOAT

8:58 p.m., 700 block of Broadway Street

Lost/Found Property: A resident called to report that his 12- 14-foot white-and-green boat was missing. He said he had tied the boat to a friend’s sailboat before Hurricane Debby, but once the storm passed, he realized the boat was missing. The owner said he would let the police department know if he found the boat, and the case was closed for the time being.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 7

POOR PUMP MANAGEMENT

3:28 p.m., 5800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious Incident: While on beach patrol, an officer noticed a large amount of water being pumped from a large hose behind a residence. According to the report, the water was creating a large channel through the dune and beach with water flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Officers approached the residence and spoke with a man who said he was

the site supervisor for a landscaping company. The officers asked him to shut off the pumps and explained why they were investigating.

The superintendent admitted he knew he should not be pumping water from the home’s pool onto the beach. He apologized for the act, and officers let him off with a verbal warning as other workers filled in the gully in the dune.

THURSDAY, AUG. 8

GAS PUMP SNAG

3:13 p.m., 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Property Damage: Police were sent to investigate property damage to a gas pump and hose at a local gas station. At the scene, an officer met with the complainant who said a white box truck drove away with the fuel hose and nozzle still in the truck.

The man’s report was verified through security camera footage, and the officer noticed a company name on the side of the truck. The officer spoke with the company’s manager and inquired about the day’s Longboat Key delivery, which was confirmed by the manager. The company manager was connected with the gas station representative to work out the matter and repair the pump.

All are welcome at All Angels no exceptions

Worship Service Sunday 10 a.m. Live Stream the 10 a.m. service at AllAnglesLBK.org 563 Bay Isles Rd • 941-383-8161 AllAngelsLBK.org

An Ecumenical Church that Welcomes all People Founded in 1956

Please join us for worship in person on Sunday at 10 a.m. or online at our website and Facebook Live Stream at 10 a.m.

Warehouse Summer Hours: M-W-SAT 9 am to 12 pm

Growing in Jesus’ Name Worship With Us at Our Church Sunday Service 10:00 AM

Dr. Julia Whar Piermont, Pastor Men s Bible Study: Monday @ 9:00 Women s Bible Study: Wednesday @ 10:00 Watch Our 10:00 AM Ser vice Li ve: www.bit.ly/cclbksermons or www.christchurchof lbk.org ( follow YouTube link )

SUNDAY • AUGUST 25, 2024 • 2:00 PM Featuring Paul Groen & Julia Chou SPECIAL

Christ Church of LBK is pleased to bring back, by popular demand, Mr. Gerrit Paul Groen, famous versatile singing artist with a distinguished international career, and his “Summer Music Magic” selections. Including favorites from Dvorak, Brahms, Vaugh Williams and George Herbert, you will share in the excitement that audiences from Royal Covent Garden, Broadway and off Broadway, to the Sydney Opera House have experienced.

Accompanying Mr. Groen on the piano is Dr. Julia Chou. A native of Taipei, Taïwan, she has a Ph D in Musicology from Kent State and is presently a freelance vocal coach on piano with singers from the Metropolitan Opera.

Would like to Welcome & Invite You, Your Family Members & Friends to Celebrate Mass with Our Parish Community MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:30 AM, and 10:30 AM Daily Mass at 9:00 AM; Rosary at 8:30 AM Monday -

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

The art of getting sober

Florida Studio Theatre’s The Recovery Project works to diminish the stigma of addiction and support artists in recovery.

EMILY LEINFUSS CONTRIBUTOR

Learning how to navigate life successfully without using mood- or mind-altering substances is the core challenge for anyone seeking recovery from addiction — whether through a 12-step program or other means.

For performing artists, however, there’s an added twist: Many elements of the profession’s lifestyle are directly at odds with getting and staying sober.

And, as any recovering addict (this writer included) has learned, “If the drugs don’t kill you, the lifestyle will.”

While this saying typically refers to the risky situations and questionable behaviors many addicts engage in to get more of their substance of choice, it’s doubly true for performing artists. Sean Daniels, director of Florida Studio Theatre’s The Recovery Project and the Anti-Stigma director at Live Tampa Bay, knows this firsthand.

In his autobiographical comedy, “The White Chip,” which ran earlier this year at FST and returned to Off Broadway in New York City in February, Daniels fictionalizes his own descent into addiction and his eventual recovery. The title refers to the token given to addicts at 12-step meetings who want to stop drinking or taking drugs.

Through this work, Daniels sheds light on stumbling blocks specific to artists — including the belief that drinking is essential for creativity — and is an accepted part of navigating the social demands of theatrical success. “Going out after a show, attend-

LEARN MORE THE RECOVERY PROJECT

„ Visit SeanDDaniels.com/ RecoveryProject.

„ The “warm line” for artists seeking support is (883) OKIQUIT (654-7848).

ing opening night parties and being present at donor events where alcohol flows freely are all part of the job,” says Casey Murphy, a Sarasotabased actor who is 12 years clean and a supporter of The Recovery Project. Murphy adds that income instability and a culture in the arts that glamorizes drug use and drinking further hinder an artist’s path to recovery.

“With addiction, though, there’s a stigma around asking for help, so you might end up trying to handle it on your own — and that’s the trap.”

— Sean Daniels

Moreover, the nature of stage work exacerbates the problem. Actors and directors, like Daniels, often work nights — performing eight shows a week, with the expectation of being emotionally open and at their best every night at 9:45. That’s a tall order if you’re battling addiction.

“Being an actor is emotionally and physically draining, but the mindset is to ‘just power through it, no matter what,’” says Daniels. “Those suffering from a disease like diabetes or asthma know that ‘powering through’ could be deadly, so they seek help. With addiction, though, there’s a stigma around asking for help, so you might end up trying to handle it on your own — and that’s the trap.”

The isolation that comes with the profession can also be a trigger.

“Let’s say you live in New York or elsewhere and get hired by a regional theater. You’re now spending two months in a community far from your friends, family and doctors,” Daniels explains. Isolation and addiction are known to be destructive bedfellows, echoing another recovery truism: “An addict alone is in bad company.”

Despite these challenges, The Recovery Project has made significant strides since its inception nearly two years ago. The program has introduced key initiatives, such as new play commissions, educational

SEE SOBER, PAGE 15

resources, artist workshops and a help line for artists. Yet, the overarching mission remains ongoing: to transform the narrative, break the stigma surrounding addiction and ultimately save lives.

A SUPPORTIVE LIFELINE FOR ARTISTS

One of The Recovery Project’s standout features is its “warm” line, designed specifically for artists who may be struggling or have questions but are not necessarily in “hotline” crisis.

“When an artist calls the warm line, they’re connected to peers or local resources through our partnership with Lightshare in Sarasota. It doesn’t require insurance and is designed to be accessible and supportive,” says Daniels.

Karina Clarke, vice president of operations at Lightshare, played a pivotal role in developing this service. Before joining Lightshare two-anda-half years ago, Clarke was program director of Sarasota County’s Drug Court for 18 years under 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Charles E. Williams. “Judge Williams, who is heavily involved in Sarasota’s artistic community, introduced me to this project,” she says.

Clarke explains that the warm line is like a concierge service for artists, assessing their needs and connecting them with appropriate services.

This can include screening for residential facilities, immediate detox placement, mental health crisis intervention, outpatient services and peer support. It’s also available

to family members seeking guidance.

“By creating a supportive environment, Lightshare aims to make it easier for artists, who often face unique challenges, to ask for and receive help without shame,” says Clarke. The ultimate goal, which aligns with The Recovery Project, is “to educate and reduce the stigma associated with addiction, ensuring individuals are treated with respect and have access to necessary services without bureaucratic hurdles.”

DEBUNKING THE MYTH OF THE WILD AND CRAZY ARTIST

A common misconception about and among artists is that substance use fuels creativity. Daniels calls this “the myth of the artist who sacrifices himself for supposed genius.” Murphy adds, “The notion of the wildly talented but self-destructive artist is just that — a myth.”

Playwright Jake Brasch is living proof this myth is untrue. He didn’t begin writing his award-winning

Smithsonian recognizes ‘Mermaid Fountain’

Sarasota’s downtown “Mermaid Fountain,” created in 1993 by artist Nancy Matthews, has been included in the Smithsonian Institution’s collection of public art sculptures.

In recognition of this honor, the city of Sarasota will hold a celebration at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 at Paul N. Thorpe J. Park at the intersection of Pineapple and Lemon avenues.

“We are happy to see Nancy’s ‘Mermaid Fountain’ receive the recognition it deserves from the Smithsonian Institution,” said Mary Davis Wallace, the city’s public art manager, in a statement. “Her work has not only beautified our city but has also become an integral part of Sarasota’s cultural and artistic identity.”

Matthews’ creation includes several pools and bas-relief imagery. The fountain gets its name from a depiction of a mermaid and two dolphins on the south-facing panel.

Raised in the Virgin Islands, Matthews’ work has been influenced by the cultures and spirituality of the Caribbean as well as the teachings of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.

Matthews attended the New York School of Visual Arts from 1969 to 1971. After receiving a grant from the government of the Virgin Islands, she attended the Art Institute of San Francisco, where she studied printmaking and ceramic sculpture.

Eventually settling in Southwest Florida, Matthews received her first commission for architectural ceramics from renowned Sarasota School architect Carl Abbott.

During the next four decades, Matthews received a series of commissions through word of mouth and client referrals. Her work has been shown at the Allyn Gallup Gallery,

plays until after he got sober. “That’s when I realized my way to process the world was through writing and comedy,” he says.

He also discovered that the shared experience of addiction, while painful, could be funny. “Recovery spaces are the best theater on earth,” says Brasch, reflecting another recovery truism: “If you’re not laughing in

“By creating a supportive environment, Lightshare aims to make it easier for artists, who often face unique challenges, to ask for and receive help without shame.”

— Karina Clarke

recovery, you’re not doing it right.”

Brasch first connected with Daniels in 2022 and held a workshop based on his play, “How to Draw a Triangle” at FST in April. He related to The Recovery Project’s “mission to reach people through stories about addicts or people affected by addiction (because it) aligns with my central mission as an artist — to reach other artists in our profession who are struggling.”

Daniels adds, “Casey and Jake are two sober artists I first encountered and wanted to support. They’re both incredibly talented, smart, open about their sobriety and game to help me save a few lives — especially those who are wondering if they should give sobriety a shot or are in early sobriety.”

Brasch emphasizes the power of storytelling in recovery. “Before I got sober, no one could tell me what was happening until it was too late. Stories have a different potential to advocate compared to usual meth-

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, The Ringling Museum of Art and the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton.

Sarasota Players names new development director

Amy Gorman has joined The Sarasota Players as the new director of development.

Gorman brings experience from finance, education and nonprofit organizations to her new role at the nonprofit community theater. She was most recently director of development at Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, where she focused on fundraising, community relationships and student programs.

Her previous positions include parents fund director and assistant annual fund director at The Taft School and corporate and community advancement associate at the State College of Florida Foundation. Gorman holds a law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree in English from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

“We are thrilled to have Amy join our team,” said Sarasota Players CEO William Skaggs in a statement. “She brings the perfect mix of experience and local knowledge that someone in this role needs to shine. We look forward to seeing what she’ll accomplish.”

Commented Gorman, “It’s a tremendous

ods. Being able to get people to say, ‘me too,’ is a big moment for recovery. Seeing someone else go through it, or showing someone going through something that mirrors their life is my ethos around writing recovery stories. It’s not about finger-wagging; it’s about saying, ‘Come on in.’”

STORYTELLING CAN HELP SAVE LIVES

Helping artists struggling with addiction connect with peers and find the help they need is vital, but The Recovery Project has further ambitions.

“We measure success through surveys, feedback and the impact of our educational and support initiatives,” says Daniels. A recent Anti-Stigma report shows that it’s working.

The community is responding to The Recovery Project’s storytelling, says Daniels. “Seeing and hearing stories that people relate and respond to can not only change national narratives, but can reduce stigma, which helps people to seek care, which ultimately saves lives.”

As for advice for performing artists struggling with substances, Daniels says, “I would tell you it’s better on the other end. I have a wife and a daughter who have never seen me drink.”

“Many artists and writers did their best work despite addiction, not because of it,” notes Murphy, adding, “the experience of getting sober humbled me and made me better on stage.”

Brasch offers these words: “Allow yourself to express as freely and openly as you can. Dance, write, sing — not to promote, but to process what’s happening to you artistically. It will help you understand how to recover, rebuild and realize what matters most to you.”

honor to join The Sarasota Players team. They are such an important and trusted part of this community, and their ongoing dedication to the performing arts and rich history instantly drew me to the position. I’m happy to have been chosen for this role.”

Local restaurant group hosts summer dining tours

Sarasota-Manatee Originals, which partners with Visit Sarasota for an annual restaurant week showcasing local eateries, has announced a summer dining series.

Scheduled for August and September, The Blend tours will take guests on a guided culinary trip abroad a trolley, with stops at five locally owned restaurants.

Each restaurant on the tour will serve a specially crafted dish paired with a complementing wine. At each stop, a wine expert and a chef will be on hand to guide the tasting experience.

The first tour is on Aug. 20 and will explore Venice and Nokomis, with stops at Pop’s Sunset Grill, Chaz 51 Steakhouse, Café Venice, Fins at Sharky’s and the Paradise Grill.

The second tour, which takes place Sept. 25, focuses on Bradenton and Palmetto, with visits to Mean Deans Local Kitchen, Birdrock Taco Shack, Ortygia, The Riverhouse and more.

Tickets for available online only for $135 per person. The cost covers all food, wine pairings, trolley transportation and gratuities. Specific dietary restrictions and meal requests cannot be accommodated.

For more information, visit EatLikeALocal. com/Events/The-Blend.

THIS WEEK

‘THE MUSIC OF LAUREL CANYON’ 7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret,1265 First St., Sarasota

$18-$42

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.

$53 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

“Saturday Night Live” veteran Rob Schneider tapped his personal life for his first Netflix comedy special, “Asian Momma, Mexican Kids,” which premiered in 2020. His credits include the NBC sitcom “Men Behaving Badly” and the feature films “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo,” “The Hot Chick” and “The Benchwarmers.” Runs through Aug. 18.

DON’T MISS

OPENING RECEPTION FOR NEW EXHIBIT

Art Center Sarasota hosts an opening reception for its latest round of exhibitions by artists

Precious Darling, Tanner Simon and teens from the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County. Darling’s show, “How He Sees Me,” uses black-and-white photography and sculpture to focus on the way women are viewed while Simon’s “Big Soup, Big Responsibility” explores the intersection of humor, seriousness and the absurd with large-scale paintings. All three exhibitions run through Sept. 28.

IF YOU GO

When: 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15

Where: at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: Free Info: Visit ArtCenterSarasota. org.

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

If you know, you know. But not everyone knows about Laurel Canyon, the neighborhood above West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip that became home to folk musicians such as Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and The Mamas and the Papas. Runs through Sept. 1.

GREEN DAY’S ‘AMERICAN IDIOT’

7:30 p.m. at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130

$30; $13 for students

Visit ThePlayers.org.

Broadway director and playwright

Michael Mayer (“Spring Awakening,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) collaborated with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and distilled his Grammy Award-winning album into a rock opera. This explosive production, directed by Brian Finnerty, is just the cure for the summertime blues. Runs through Aug. 16.

‘THE FOUR C NOTES’

8 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.

$18-$42

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

For fans of Frank Valli and the Four Seasons, the doo-wop sound never goes out of style. With “The Four C Notes,” Florida Studio Theatre continues the tradition of presenting Four Seasons tribute shows in its summer cabaret series. Runs through Oct. 13.

‘THE OUTSIDER’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $29-$46 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

After the past few weeks in politics, we could all use some laughs. Florida Studio Theatre serves up a political comedy about the world’s least likely candidate for governor who just might be exactly what the voters want. Runs through Aug. 18.

FRIDAY

CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘VIVA LAS VEGAS’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

If you’re a fan of campy Elvis Presley movies, it doesn’t get much better than “Viva Las Vegas,” which created a lot of chemistry on screen (and off, according to gossip columnists) between the King of rock ’n’ roll and his sexy co-star Ann-Margret.

SATURDAY

COMEDY LOTTERY

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Everyone’s a winner in this FST Improv show, where audience members select the night’s lineup of games, replete with scenes, sketches and songs designed to provoke laughter. Runs Saturdays through Sept. 28.

SUNDAY

HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘COPPÉLIA’

1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12-$20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Find out what happens when the lonely Dr. Coppelius brings a doll to life. His “daughter’s” beauty is so great that it threatens to derail the engagement of a peasant couple to be married during the village harvest festival.

WEDNESDAY

JAZZ HAPPY HOUR

6 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free with reservation Visit JazzHappyHour.org.

OUR PICK

‘ANYTHING GOES’ Can’t get enough of Cole Porter? Then the Manatee Players’ revival of the 1934 musical “Anything Goes” is the show for you. Set sail on the S.S. American as two unlikely couples try to chart a course to lasting happiness with the help of singing sailors. Runs through Aug. 18.

IF YOU GO When:When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15

Where: at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton Tickets: $32-$42 Info: Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter.com.

Sarasota Music Archive presents the Barbara Jordan Quintet playing a program of “Swinging the Classics.”

Thinking small at 502 Gallery

The new 400-square-foot gallery in the Burns Court district showcases small, affordable works.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Somewhere, Syd Solomon is smiling.

The late artist and his wife, Annie, who died in 2020 at age 102, were known for bringing Sarasota’s visual arts community together and sparking dialogue, collaboration and fun.

As a result of the teamwork at Ringling College of Art and Design’s recent Solomon exhibition, a new gallery has opened in the historic Burns Court district.

The team behind the new 502 Gallery at 502 S. Pineapple Ave. — Ringling College Chief Curator Tim Jaeger, art collector and investor Dr. Richard Mones, and gallery Operations Manager Christina Antoniou — collaborated on “Fluid Impressions: The Paintings of Syd Solomon,” which ran from November 2023 to March in the college’s Lois and David

IF YOU GO

‘SHOPLIFTABLE’

Where: 502 Gallery, 502 S. Pineapple Ave.

When: Noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Runs through Nov. 9.

Stulberg Gallery. Rounding out the 502 Gallery team is Jaeger’s wife, Cassia Kite, who is an arts educator and an artist herself.

Including the Ringling College galleries that Jaeger oversees, the 502 Gallery brings the number of galleries that he’s actively curating to nine.  Like all artistic endeavors, 502 Gallery is a labor of love. But the partners aim to make money for themselves and for the Sarasota artists whose works are on display in the 400-square-foot gallery.

The grand opening of 502 Gallery

was scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 4, but Hurricane Debby threw a monkey wrench into the works, and the event was delayed until Aug. 11.

On Aug. 9, the partners in 502 Gallery were presiding over a soft opening of sorts, as friends and well-wishers dropped by the gallery, which was dealing with some airconditioning problems. Even with the last-minute opening snafus, the excitement was palpable.

Despite lifelong admonitions heard by every American to “think big,” 502 Gallery is doing exactly the opposite. Its first show, “Shopliftable,” features multimedia works no larger than six inches high, wide and deep.

The pieces are billed as “small enough to steal,” but they also seem like the perfect stocking stuffers for arts lovers. (It’s never too early to start your holiday shopping.)

The response to 502 Gallery’s request for entries was so great, its next show, in November, will be called “Shopliftable II.”

Even with a soft opening, artworks were being purchased on Aug. 9. Antoniou, a Boston native who graduated from Ringling College in May, slipped into the back room to pick up new pieces to replenish the gallery’s display.

The price points range from $300 to $1,300, Antoniou says.

The Jaegers and Mones see 502 Gallery as filling a niche in the Sarasota arts scene that has been overlooked.

By focusing on small works, 502 Gallery is offering affordability, giving both established and emerging artists the opportunity to connect with collectors who need art to fill a corner or a space on a bookshelf. “It’s all about being accessible,” Jaeger says.

For their new venture, partners considered South Palm Avenue downtown, home to other art galleries and the scene of First Friday Artwalks during season, but the rents were too high, Mones says.

The block of Pineapple Avenue where 502 Gallery is located is filled

with restaurants, antique stores and other retailers, and the sidewalk art has been refreshed ahead of this November’s Chalk Festival. Just around the corner is Burns Court Cinema. “It’s a perfect location for us,” Mones says.

About 50 Sarasota artists are featured in the first edition of “Shopliftable.” Among them are familiar names such as Omar Chacon, Keith Crowley, Jack Dowd, Joe Fig, Virginia Hoffman, Joseph Melancon, Marina Shaltout as well as Kite, who has been married to Jaeger since 2012.

Kite met her future husband when she took a class at Ringling College, which included a visit to Jaeger’s studio at the time. “We started talking and we haven’t stopped since,” she says.

Despite their small space, Jaeger and his collaborators envision 502 Gallery as a hub for artists and their collectors.

The gallery is just a few doors down from Project Coffee, and Jaeger hopes the space will be the kind of place where folks drop by just as they would a coffee shop. “We want to build community,” Jaeger says.

The pieces are billed as “small enough to steal,” but they also seem like the perfect stocking stuffers for arts lovers.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

All-access beaches

Free mobility options empower people to explore area beaches independently.

PETRA RIVERA

STAFF WRITER

The first person to use the new city of Sarasota EcoRover hadn’t seen the beach in years.

“A family rented it out for the first time,” said Jake Brown, city of Sarasota ADA coordinator. “They brought their grandfather from an assisted living (facility) who had not been to the beach in years. They had the best time, from what I understand, and were able to put a smile on his face after all the years he thought he couldn’t go to the beach anymore.”

Starting this July, the EcoRover, a beach-friendly accessibility chair, allowed people with disabilities to independently explore Lido Beach, which wasn’t an option for them before. City of Sarasota employees hope that this will pave the path to building a more accessible community around Lido Key and Longboat Key.

ALL-TERRAIN ROVER

Before the EcoRover, beach wheelchairs and Mobi-mats, which are portable rollout mats for wheelchairs to safely cross the beach, were the only options for people with disabilities to enjoy the area’s beaches

HOW TO RESERVE

„ EcoRover Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance by contacting Jake Brown at Jake. Brown@SarasotaFL.gov or by calling 263-6476. It can be reserved for up to four hours at no cost between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Before using the vehicle, viewing a brief safety tutorial video and signing a waiver is required.

„ Sand Wheelchair

Call the Longboat Key Fire Rescue at 316-1944. A $20 deposit is required, but you will receive the deposit back upon the return of the chair.

and parks. Though these are great options, they do not allow people to independently explore as they please because someone would also have to accompany them to push them through the sand.

After a board member experienced this with a family member, the Sarasota City Commission-appointed Citizens with Disabilities Advisory Board started looking for a solution that would allow people with disabilities more freedom, especially with the expansion of accessible options around the area including buses and entertainment around the area.

The EcoRover was $14,000 and funded through handicap parking

violation fines, which allow it to be free for use by those with disabilities. This electric, hand-controlled track chair with all-terrain treads allows people to enjoy the beach, which is usually a difficult place to navigate for people with wheelchairs and disabilities.

The chair includes storage for an oxygen tank, umbrella and tools. It also has a remote control for a companion to help those without the use of their hands.

Because of Hurricane Debby, only one person has reserved the chair so far, but Brown said people have shown a lot of interest. He is excited to see the chair in action now the beaches are returning to normal after the storm.

“Part of living in Florida is going to the beach,” said Brown. “So, we wanted to make sure that everybody can experience the beautiful beaches of Sarasota.”

BEACH WHEELS

After discovering how difficult it is for wheelchair users to get onto the beach, the Longboat Key Fire Rescue started brainstorming about how to make it more accessible and avoid falls from people who try to visit the beach on their own. This year, the department made room in the budget to purchase a sand wheelchair.

“The fire department has found that some families may not be able to get down there to the beach,” said Fire Chief Paul Dezzi. “Here’s an opportunity for them to use the chair, get them out of the house and down to the beach and make it a nice day.”

The chair is built to ensure smooth

journeys on the sand without falling. That does make it more difficult to get onto the beach, but the Fire Rescue Department offers to help people get it there.

To make it as accessible as possible, the sand wheelchair is a free option. Once people call to reserve the chair, they can come pick it up by giving a $20 deposit. When returning it, they will receive the deposit back. The chair must be cleaned before returning it.

Most of the families that have used it are visitors, but Dezzi is hoping

that more locals will start to use it if they need it. He said that about six people have used it so far. People can use it as long as needed, one family using it for a week once. It is a firstcome, first-served process.  The sand wheelchair and the EcoRover are only a few options to make it easier for people with disabilities to enjoy the area’s beaches. Dezzi said they are always open to hearing ideas to make the island a more accessible place.

The doctor is in

Physician joins Reed Medical Group to make women’s health care accessible and encourage healthy lifestyles.

RDr.

tion to the internal medicine team at Reed Medical Group. With her background in osteopathic medicine, she plans to provide personalized health care that focuses on all aspects of life and prevents illnesses in the future. Ward has always been fascinated by the body. Originally from Missouri, Ward knew she wanted to become a doctor at a young age, and she attended Kansas City University Medical School before moving to Sarasota for her residency at Sarasota Memorial Hospital five years ago.  Ward set out to become a concierge doctor after realizing the lack of opportunity to get to know patients in a traditional medical setting. Her desire to provide more personalized care and grow stronger relationships with her patients aligns with her ideals as a doctor of osteopathic medicine.

According to Ward, osteopathic medicine focuses on treating patients in all parts of life: body, mind and soul. It focuses on doing preventative care to extend a patient’s lifespan and make them as healthy as possible throughout it.

“The basis of osteopathic medicine is that the body could heal itself if you gave it all the tools it needed,” said Ward. “While also concentrating on the physical aspects of life, I always ask people about their social health, how they exercise, their mental health and how they sleep. Through that, we can figure out what lifestyle changes we can do to help prevent future problems or heal current ones.”

After starting at Reed Medi -

“There’s no deeper privilege in my life and no better career, in my opinion, than having someone walk into the room and trust you with the depths of their being.”

— Dr. Mindy Ward

cal Group in July, Ward is excited to bring this type of medicine onto the island, focusing specifically on women’s health and healthy aging.

She said menopause is a greatly undertreated part of a woman’s life. Ward wants to acknowledge and inform all women throughout that transition in life to help them become the best version of themselves. Ward provides many preventative women’s care options such as pap smears and hormone replacement therapy.

Along with making women’s health care more accessible, she hopes to be a go-to doctor on Longboat. Being a concierge doctor allows her to build strong relationships with

her patients to treat them the best she can. She said this allows her to be more involved in a patient’s life such as teaming up with personal trainers, talking to family about hard medical topics and implementing supplements if her patients are interested.

Ward said that her first month has been exactly what she had hoped for. Reed Medical Group’s mission of providing accessible health care for Longboaters while implementing preventative care aligns with her career goals. She has loved meeting many Longboaters and is excited to continue to build her roster of patients to help them live their healthiest lives.

“I absolutely became a physician because I love people,” said Ward. “There’s no deeper privilege in my life and no better career, in my opinion, than having someone walk into the room and trust you with the depths of their being.”

Think the summer real estate market in Sarasota slows down? This has not happened in years!

• Sarasota has experienced explosive growth in recent years, becoming the second fastest-growing region in the U.S. in 2022 and 2024. Population and employment have surged, dramatically transforming the area.

• Sarasota’s typical retiree and snowbird demographic has shifted significantly to include families and young professionals, a trend that is expected to accelerate over the next 10 years.

• Every summer, buyers flock to Sarasota, seizing the chance to explore properties in a more relaxed setting. They aim to secure their winter homes before January 1, reaping significant tax advantages and making Sarasota their ultimate retreat.

• Recognized for unparalleled expertise in the Sarasota/ Manatee region, The Ackerman Group is consistently ranked among the top 0.5% of all Coldwell Banker agents globally, and provide their clientele with unmatched local expertise.

A place for play

Sarasota Yacht Club members fund and build a playhouse for children who live at Harvest House campuses.

When youth members from the Sarasota Yacht Club learned about the number of homeless children in Sarasota a year ago, they wanted to make a difference.

From ages 6 to 65, 75 members of the club came together to build a playhouse for children on a Sarasota Harvest House campus. Twenty members hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 9 to unveil the new play area.

“We couldn’t have done this without one of the board members, Mark (Padgett),” said Stephania Feltz, philanthropy and special projects director at the club. “He has told me stories of his parents, who instilled in him the belief that you don’t help others in your community because you can help others. But you help others because you must and you should. It’s a responsibility, and so we are excited to be sharing that legacy in a very meaningful way.”

Wanting to help the homeless population in any way possible, Sarasota Yacht Club partnered with Harvest House, which provides emergency housing for the local homeless population.

After meeting with the Harvest House team, they realized the importance of having options for children to play while growing up. With this in mind, the idea of funding and building Harvest House’s very own play-

house was born.

Board member Mark Padgett led the initiative to raise the $8,000 for the project through the Gingerbread House Auction, where SYC members sold a giant gingerbread house. To make this a learning experience for the children, the Yacht Squad, the club’s youth members, honed their writing skills by writing a grant that was presented and approved by the SYC Cares Committee.

Club members, including the high school members from the club’s Ensign Board, helped architect and club member Mark Sultana build the project, which took over a year. Feltz expressed that the year of teamwork, struggle and philanthropy was worth it to provide a safe place for kids to play.

“Part of our goal in what we do is in helping the kids to be kids,” said Harvest House CEO and Executive Director Erin Minor. “This right here

plays right in line with that ethos of ours to make sure that families are having that rest time when they get home from school, the kids can play, just feel like kids, and not carry the burden of crisis.”

Access to the arts

St. Armands Key Lutheran Church invited residents to “be its guest” at the first concert of its free Midsummer Music on the Circle series featuring Strings Con Brio.

To kick off the concert series, Strings Con Brio presented its “Tale As Old As Time” program at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8. SAKLC’s Minister of Music and Director of Operations Michael Bodnyk hopes that this will provide an accessible opportunity for new and long-time residents to experience the rich arts culture of the area.

Strings Con Brio Conductor Kenneth Bowermeister led the crowd through a selection of familiar theatrical melodies, such as “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Les Miserables,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Bodnyk sang select songs, receiving multiple standing ovations.

The program also featured two talented Ukrainian musician brothers. Yurii, 20, and Andrii Padkovskyi, 12, are from Lviv, Ukraine, and were relocated to the Czech Republic and then Florida due to the war in Ukraine.

— PETRA RIVERA

IF YOU GO

Midsummer Music on the Cir-

cle is a free four-week concert series hosted by St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive.

„ Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.: Jazz Daddyo’s

„ Aug. 20 at 7 p.m.: Astralis Chamber Ensemble

„ Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.: Sarasota

Piano Trio

We are a collaboration of savvy real estate professionals with decades of local experience. We focus on selling exceptional properties located in downtown and on our local islands. We represent buyers and sellers in our marketplace with a unique viewpoint, as we live in the communities that we sell. This local perspective makes us experts in our field, allowing us to provide you all the information for you and your family to make the best decision in your real estate endeavor.

Bird Key home tops sales at $8 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome on Bird Key tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Flamingo FLCO LLC sold the home at 469 E. Royal Flamingo Drive to David and Karen Behrens, of Sarasota, for $7,999,000. Built in 1977, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,279 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.3 million in 2023.

QUEEN’S HARBOUR Kevin and Kim Costello sold their home at 3551 Fair Oaks Lane to John and Marlene Schiech, of Timonium, Maryland, for $2.3 million. Built in 1995, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,966 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.25 million in 2007.

ISLANDS WEST

F. Paul Hurwitz and Barry Hurwitz, trustees, sold the Unit 15-B condominium at 2525 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Peter and Carroll Kennedy, of Greenwich, Connecticut, for $1.45 million. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,491 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 1998.

Kathryn Pall, trustee, of Bloomingdale, Illinois, sold the Unit 7-C condominium at 2525 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Toni Cusumano, of Mount Vernon, Illinois, for $1.15 million. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,468 square feet. It sold for $220,000 in 1992.

PROMENADE

Jeff Herbert and Caryn Mass, trustees, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, sold the Unit 309 condominium at 1211 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Promenade 309 LLC for $1,225,000. Built in 1985, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,827 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 1999.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS JULY 29-AUG. 2

AQUARIUS CLUB

Louis and GinaMaria Shapiro, of Saunderstown, Rhode Island, sold their Unit 2-E condominium at 1701 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Habib Khorshid and Patricia Shields, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, for $1.18 million. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,615 square feet of living area. It sold for $506,000 in 2015.

SEAPLACE

Robert Neudorfer, of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, sold his Unit T1-109-A condominium at 2077 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Kimberly Bennett and Robert Putland, of Longboat Key, for $850,000. Built

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,387 square feet of living area. It sold for $520,000 in 2017.

Michael Shoulders and Scott Veazey sold their Unit M2-307-G condominium at 1945 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Phillip Herschel and Janice Herschel, trustees, of Bradenton, for $665,000. Built in 1978, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,076 square feet of living area. It sold for $335,000 in 2011.

FAIRWAY BAY

Gregory and Cynthia Hunt, of Seymour, Indiana, sold their Unit 1401 condominium at 1928 Harbour-

side Drive to Braulio Ramon and Lixa Rodriguez-Ramon, of Laurel, Maryland, for $667,500. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,370 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2017.

SPANISH MAIN YACHT CLUB

Peter and Valerie Mellor, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 88 condominium at 820 Spanish Drive S. to Golden Girl Properties LLC for $545,000. Built in 1971, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,390 square feet of living area. It sold for $252,500 in 2002.

Myakka wetlands help reduce flooding

By containing water, flooding in the park supports downstream human communities.

MIRI HARDY CONTRIBUTOR

Awatershed is an area of land that channels rainfall into a common body of water. Myakka River State Park lies within the Myakka River Watershed, which encompasses approximately 600 square miles. Within this watershed, the Myakka River collects water from numerous creeks and sloughs. It provides drainage by channeling water into Charlotte Bay to the south, where it flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

Four major depressions act as natural water detention areas in the Myakka River Watershed. These include Flatford Swamp near Myakka City, Tatum Sawgrass Marsh just north of the park, and Upper and Lower Myakka Lake within the park. Tatum Sawgrass Marsh, the largest of these detention areas, has the capacity to store an equivalent of 1.8 inches of rainfall, which is four times that of Upper and Lower Myakka Lakes combined. And in numerous smaller wetlands, water covers the soil periodically.

During rain storms, the amount of water running over land in a watershed increases, and in severe storms, flooding may result. Low-lying areas of land, where water periodically spreads when a river or creek overflows its banks, are known as floodplains. Flooding in floodplains is an expected and important natural process. Indeed, as a rain-fed river, during our rainy season the Myakka River routinely overflows into the park’s floodplain marshes, other wetlands and hydric hammocks. As Myakka’s ecosystems have adapted to this natural ebb and flow of water, it’s critical for their health. Therefore, restoring impacted wetlands and maintaining

PARK CLOSED

Myakka River State Park is experiencing flooding, with high water levels expected in the park for a while. The park is closed to the public until further notice. For updates, visit FloridaStateParks.org.

their health is a priority for Myakka’s team.

To protect the park’s natural communities, and our own, Myakka is minimally developed. Impervious surfaces, such as those found in urban areas, greatly increase the rate and volume of runoff, resulting in a higher risk of flood damage. Conversely, wetlands, particularly floodplain wetlands, have the capacity to temporarily store flood waters during high runoff events, such as the one we’re currently experiencing as a result of Hurricane Debby. By holding back flood waters and slowing the rate that water reenters the river channel, Myakka’s abundant wetlands greatly reduce the severity of downstream flooding and erosion.

Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver.

YOUR CALENDAR

SUNDAY, AUG. 18 MUSIC BY ROSS DAVID

1-4 p.m. at Lido Island Grill, 400 Benjamin Franklin Drive. Ross David performs covers and originals including Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, the Eagles, John Mayer, The Script, Maroon 5 and more. He plays under the pavilion of blue sails. Call 4447495.

RECURRING EVENTS

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS

LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT

STORE

The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to noon at 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.

MONDAYS

STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. This class is mostly seated and great for all fitness levels. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

THINKING OUT LOUD

1-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Retired Lawyer Mike Karp will lead a lively discussion on current topics such as world affairs, national politics and local issues. Bring questions, thoughts and an open mind. Call 383-6493.

TUESDAYS PILATES SCULPT

From 9-9:50 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Pilates Sculpt is a combination class mixing traditional Pilates exercises into a fun, challenging workout to upbeat music. It will make you sweat, encourage your body to burn calories and make you stronger.. This class is for all levels. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

QIGONG

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Qigong is a mind-body-spirit practice designed to improve mental and physical health. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

BEST BET

TUESDAY, AUG. 20

POP-UP LIBRARY 10-11:30 a.m. at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road. On the first and third Tuesday of each month in the back parking lot of Town Hall, the Library Pop-Up will be at Longboat Key with books for all ages. Swing by to sign up for a library card and read a book by the beach. Call 861-5475.

YOGA From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Debby Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $15; free for members. Call 383-6493.

MAHJONG

From 1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Fun time for experienced players. To check availability at the tables, email Amy@ TheParadiseCenter.org.

ROTARY CLUB Meets at 5 p.m. on first and third Tuesdays in All Angels Parish Hall, 563 Bay Isles Road. To learn more, call Nancy Rozance at 203-605-4066 or email Info@ LongboatKeyRotary.org.

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